By World Report, The Christian Post in partnership with Crossroads, WEA

November 19, 2012|9:52 am

Tensions in the Middle East are escalating. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has said his country is ready to significantly escalate its military operation against Palestinian militants in Gaza. Israel has been pounding Gaza with airstrikes for days. The government says it is targeting rocket-launching sites and infrastructure operated by Hamas and other militant groups. President Barack Obama has weighed in on the ongoing violence.

"Let's understand what the precipitating event here was that is causing the current crisis and that was an ever-escalating number of missiles that were landing, not just in Israeli territory, but in areas that are populated. And there's no country on earth that would tolerate missiles raining down on its citizens from outside its borders. So, we are fully supportive of Israel's right to defend itself from missiles landing on peoples homes and workplaces and potentially killing civilians."

TAG: Palestinian officials say at least 50 people have been killed in Gaza since last Wednesday, and hundreds wounded. In Israel, military officials report hundreds of rocket attacks. Three Isrealis have been killed and at least 68 wounded.

MEANTIME…..The Iron Dome is having a big impact in intercepting hundreds of rockets and saving lives. One key element of the Iron Dome is an advanced radar that searches, locates attacks, intercepts and guides the intercepting missiles within several seconds, within a few seconds of the launching time. The Iron Dome was only put into service in 2011. With breakthroughs in technology - it can detect and shoot down multiple targets in mid-air.

The story of David Petraeus' affair seems to be getting more complex by the hour. But there's a very basic question that many people are wondering ... why did he do it?

Meawhile…. After hearing Petraeus' testimony on Capitol Hill, Republican legislators continue to question what happened in Benghazi, Libya. More specifically, the motives behind the Obama administration's initial description of the September 11th attack—chalked up to an amateur video, offensive to Islam. Four Americans were killed in the attack, including Ambassador Chris Stevens.

Thousands of pro-choicers took to streets of Dublin, Ireland this weekend to demand an amendment to the country's anti-abortion laws. It's because of a 31 year old woman who died after being refused an abortion. She had spent a week in University Hospital Galway with severe pain at the start of a miscarriage; a case very different from the usual defense of pro-choice. Critics say Ireland's laws concerning abortion, based on an 1861 statute, remain ambiguous despite the Supreme Court ruling in 1992 that abortions should be legal to save the life of the woman. Investigations are now underway and doctors say they fear being targeted by lawsuits or protests – or even charged with murder – if they perform an abortion to safeguard a woman's life.

The world is being called on to act against the genocide of Christians in Nigeria. The Christian Association of Nigerian Americans want to have Boko Harem officially declared a Foreign Terrorist organization since it started waging Jihad in 2009. The group has vowed to wipe out Christianity in the region and establish shariah law. Residents who witnessed a recent gun battle that took out Boko Haram's top commander reportedly claimed that women and children were among an unknown number of civilians killed in the crossfire.

A large demonstration of environmentalists rallied outside the White House yesterday to voice their opposition against the proposed Alberta Keystone pipeline. President Barack Obama temporarily blocked the pipeline last January, citing environmental concerns. The 19-hundred kilometre Keystone pipeline stretches from Alberta to Texas and has been promoted as a job creating venture as well as an "ethical oil" option instead of heavily relying on middle east oil. The pipeline would carry 700-thousand barrels of crude oil a day.